Linux vs. Windows: What's The Difference?

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Linux vs. Windows: What's The Difference?

Posted by timothy on Thursday July 1, 2004 @10:05AM from the parallels-maybe-but-come-on dept.

underpar writes "This zdnet article covering Microsoft's Tech Ed conference quotes one of the speakers, Mark Russinovich, as saying that Linux is becoming more and more like Windows. He cites many examples of where Linux 'copies' Windows and other operating systems. He says the only current difference is 'how windowing is handled.'"

21 of 1,219 comments (clear)

It's a vicious cycle by strictnein · 2004-07-01 10:06 · Score: 5, Funny

And it's gotten even worse with Mac OS 10.4 because now:
Linux copies Windows which copies Mac which copies Linux
(I'm sure SCO Unix gets copied in there somewhere too)

Uh oh... doesn't that sort of relationship end the universe in some sort of giant BLIP!?

Now, for those who want to actually read something that matters, Ars Technica has a primer on PCI-Express. Impress your friends, neighbors, and countrymen!

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1. Re:It's a vicious cycle by Pharmboy · 2004-07-01 10:23 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I think it's the reverse; Windows seems to be getting more POSIX-like with each release.
  
  Its all that code they licensed from SCO... ;)
  
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2. Re:It's a vicious cycle by r00zky · 2004-07-01 10:47 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Excuse me, i think you added two excess letters in your above sentence... "IX"
  
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  I'm a chainsmokin' alcoholic sociopath, so-ci-o-path
Re:The Difference by kaschei · 2004-07-01 10:08 · Score: 5, Funny

Great-- this is going to attract the anti-linux trolls AND the anti-microsoft trolls, each arguing over whom you're talking about.

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Apps remove the difference by prostoalex · 2004-07-01 10:08 · Score: 4, Funny

He's kinda right. I work with OpenOffice and Firefox for my basic stuff, and each time I launch those two or am in the middle of something, I have to look at the task bars to remind myself where I am at. User interfaces are so much alike.

The usual routine is pressing Win+E to launch Windows Explorer, then observe no Windows Explorer window launching, then cuss silently for the bug, then realize it's Red Hat 9 I am in.
Unix-derivatives easily identified. by OpenGLFan · 2004-07-01 10:09 · Score: 5, Funny

A Unix-like OS is easily identified by the backspace key not working.
1. Re:Unix-derivatives easily identified. by SethD · 2004-07-01 10:20 · Score: 5, Funny
  
  I dont ^H^H't understand. Mine seems to work fine!
2. Re:Unix-derivatives easily identified. by drinkypoo · 2004-07-01 10:21 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  Corollary: A Unix newbie is easily identified by his lack of familiarity with the 'stty' command.
  Corollary to the corollary: A Unix newbie can further be identified by separating those who say "newbie" from those who say "n00b".
  
  --
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Re:An important difference by TwistedSquare · 2004-07-01 10:09 · Score: 5, Funny

I think you'll find that means Windows is 400 dollars cheaper than Linux.
Sincerely,
Darl.
Windows by Exousia · 2004-07-01 10:10 · Score: 3, Funny

Somebody needs to write an OS where the windowing operations are all done in the memory allocator. Wouldn't that be the more efficient way to go about it?

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monolithic by captnjameskirk · 2004-07-01 10:12 · Score: 5, Funny

He says in the article: "Both kernels are monolithic". I thought the Windows kernel was monopolithic.
AdT response by bani · 2004-07-01 10:38 · Score: 4, Funny

(fingers in ears)

"la la la la la I can't hear yooooooou la la la la la la"
Re:Please note... by tux_deamon · 2004-07-01 10:41 · Score: 3, Funny

Well, I think putting "Windows" and "Linux" in the same headline on /. is a little like sounding the Horn of Gondor...
Re:Ooh! Selective comparison... by Newander · 2004-07-01 11:38 · Score: 5, Funny

I keep switching back to Windows to work with PSpice or Xilinx software, etc. For home users Linux really doesn't belong YET.

Yeah, home users spend most of their time simulating circuits and writing VHDL.

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Re:An important difference by letxa2000 · 2004-07-01 11:39 · Score: 5, Funny

I can download and install a Windows utility more quickly than I can build and install a Linux package.
And, best of all, you get malware, spyware, viruses, and trojans for free with your installs!
Re:An important difference by DMadCat · 2004-07-01 11:55 · Score: 5, Funny

Everything you listed is just a download away. I fail to see the problem.

Hell, with Windows some programs even download themselves! Now that's service!
One thing Linux is missing...... by standing_still · 2004-07-01 12:13 · Score: 3, Funny

Linux still needs a blue screen of death....
Re:An important difference by xp · 2004-07-01 12:40 · Score: 5, Funny

But what about the Total Cost of Ownership?
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Difference ? by moro_666 · 2004-07-01 18:11 · Score: 3, Funny

god@world:~$ diff linux windows
linux works.
windows costs money.

god@world:~$

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over & out ;)

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Re:An important difference by Anonymous Coward · 2004-07-01 20:09 · Score: 4, Funny

But what about the Total Cost of Ownership?

Dude, no-one owns Windows. Once installed, Windows owns you.
Re:Consultants by cyber0ne · 2004-07-02 01:22 · Score: 3, Funny

Exactly. A big advantage of Windows is that anyone (even your grandmother) can be a sysadmin. A big disadvantage of Windows is that anyone (even your grandmother) thinks they can be a sysadmin.

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